ricin
[rahy-sin, ris-in]
- a white, poisonous, protein powder from the bean of the castor-oil plant.
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Origin of ricin
1895–1900; < New Latin Ricinus name of genus, Latin: castor-oil plant
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for ricin
Contemporary Examples
Walter returns to the house to retrieve the vile of ricin he hid there in the previous finale.
Could a mind-boggling vendetta be behind the ricin letters sent to Obama and Wicker?
What happened besides the Boston Marathon bombing, ricin attacks, and the massive Texas explosion?
Once again, cable news channels are wall to wall with bombing and ricin coverage.
He also had an encounter with Roger Wicker, one of the recipients of the ricin letters.
Historical Examples
By George, though, that Paoli must be a clever one—think of his knowing about ricin.
The Silent BulletArthur B. Reeve
ricin
- biochem a highly toxic protein, a lectin, derived from castor-oil seeds: used in experimental cancer therapy
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Word Origin
C19: from New Latin Ricinus genus name, from Latin: castor-oil plant
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for ricin
n.
poison obtained from the castor-oil bean, 1888, from ricinus, genus name of the castor-oil plant (1694), from Latin ricinus (Pliny), of uncertain origin, perhaps the same word as ricinus "tick" (in sheep, dogs, etc.).
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
ricin
(rī′sĭn, rĭs′ĭn)- A poisonous protein that is extracted from the castor bean and is used as a biochemical reagent.
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The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
ricin
[rī′sĭn, rĭs′ĭn]
- An extremely poisonous protein extracted from the castor bean. Ricin inhibits protein synthesis in cells, and is used as a biochemical reagent and in cancer research.
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.